The present invention relates to doors for patio doorways and particularly pertains to a bidirectional swinging screen door and frame assembly.
Patio doorways are often configured with a sliding glass door arrangement. Such doorways are typically framed with tracks for sliding one or more doors open and closed. Within this patio doorway frame a seasonal sliding screen door can be arranged parallel to the sliding glass door. By sliding the glass door along the track to its open position and having it remain in the open position, the screen door can then function as the primary means for exiting and entering through the patio doorway. The sliding screen door maintains a barrier between the outdoors and inside of the home while providing for increased fresh air and sensory perception of the recreation in the backyard or patio.
Improvements in screen door arrangements provide a more versatile and aesthetically pleasing entryway. Many of these improvements are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,332 to Mlenek. The assembly includes a replacement screen door surrounded by a frame which connects to the patio doorway of the house. Once mounted to the patio doorway of the house, the screen door is hinged within the frame, allowing the door to be opened in either an inwardly or outwardly direction. In addition, the assembly has a mechanism for returning the door to the closed position.
While this prior art assembly is generally effective, it lacks many desirable functional attributes. First, the frame of the assembly only borders three sides of the opening, making alignment of the two screen doors difficult. Second, the doors lack the ability to be detained in the open position. Third, the doors lack the ability to be elevated when opened to clear rugs or other structures on the floor adjacent the doors. Still other aspects of this prior art assembly make it less than optimal and amenable to improvement.
The present invention provides a bidirectional swinging door assembly for mounting in a patio doorway. The assembly of this invention includes a frame attachable to the patio doorway and at least one door, such as a screen door, pivotably mounted to the frame.
The frame is configured so that it entirely surrounds an opening in the patio doorway. Preferably, two doors are pivotably attached to the frame in a manner allowing each door to swing both inward and outward relative to the doorway. A user can thus easily pass through the doorway in either direction by merely pushing the doors in a swinging fashion from a closed position occluding the opening to an open position allowing the user to pass through.
At least one hinge supports each door in a pivoting fashion relative to the frame. The hinge is configured to allow each door to swing both inward and outward. Each door includes a means to bias the door toward a closed position. Preferably, this biasing means is in the form of a sloped ramp coupled to the frame beneath the door and a wing on the door located such that the wing rides up the slope when the door is moved from the closed position to the open position. Gravitational forces thus bias the door towards the closed position. Preferably, a means is provided to detain the door in an at least partially open position so that the door can remain open when in this detained position. Preferably, this detaining means is in the form of a notch in the wing and a crest at a top of the slope so that when the notch in the wing aligns with the crest of the slope, the door is held stationary in this at least partially open position.
Preferably, the hinge includes an upper portion and a lower portion each coaxially aligned with a common pivoting axis. The upper portion of the hinge pivotably couples a top portion of the door to a top portion of the frame. A lower portion of the hinge couples a lower portion of the door to a lower portion of the frame.
In addition to the slope and wing or other means to bias the door toward the closed position, the slope and wing configuration additionally provides a preferred form of a means to elevate the door when the door is opened away from the closed position. As the wing rides up the slope, the door is elevated, allowing a lower portion of the door to more easily clear obstacles resting upon the ground adjacent the doorway and inside or outside of the structure in which the doorway is located.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a screen door that opens in either direction; i.e., the screen door swings inwards as well as outwards.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bidirectional swinging screen door with a door stop for detaining the door in open positions.
Another object of the invention is to provide a screen door in which a person may choose between pushing or pulling the door open when both entering and exiting through the doorway.
Another object of the invention is to provide a bidirectional swinging screen door that opens without excessive force allowing a person to pass through whose hands are not free or who may be using a wheelchair or other means of mobility that require the use of the hands.
Another object of the invention is to provide a bidirectional swinging screen door that is both lightweight and sturdy.
Another object of the invention is to provide a bidirectional swinging screen door that, when opening in either direction, elevates above the threshold to achieve suitable clearance of carpet, rugs, mats, or other common structures within the entryway.
Another object of the invention is to provide a screen door which returns to the closed position after it has been opened in either direction.
Another object of the invention is to provide a screen door that maintains a weatherproof seal.
Another object of the invention is to provide a screen door frame assembly which may be adjusted to fit in commercially available patio doorways.
Another object of the invention is to provide a screen door which can be easily installed adjacent a doorway opening with the doors having precise proper alignment.